The Snowball Fight
by Jay.Marisa
Summary: Just a fluffy one-shot about Numair and Daine. And a snowball fight.


"Numair?"

"Yes Magelet?"

"How much longer?"

"Only a bit sweetling. See, you can see the tower already."

"Yes, but we could see the tower two hours ago as well."

"We'll be there soon, no worries."

Daine and Numair rode trough the woods and swiftly falling snow, towards Numair's tower home. Daine sat shivering, under her own and one of Numair's cloaks, on trusty little Cloud. Close beside her rode, or at least attempted to, Numair on the old mare, Spots. Sharing Spots, rode Kitten, who rode under Numair's black cloak, everything covered and hidden but her long grey muzzle and bright curious eyes.

The woods were quiet except for the occasional birds call of hello, or a squirrel's chatter of the forest news. A cold wind made the snow briskly falling snowflakes dance around the riders and their mounts, and made Daine's chestnut curls and Numair's raven locks tangle and flutter into their faces.

They rode to Numair's home to celebrate their own midwinter, away from the crowds and chaos of the court. To celebrate the first Midwinter since The Immortal's War, Jon and Thayat were throwing the largest celebration seen in Tortall since their wedding, years before. Daine however, wanted no part in a large celebration. She wanted a quiet Midwinter, alone with Numair, who gladly agreed to anything that would make her happy, and took her off to his home.

"I'm cold." Daine said, with an exaggerated shiver.

"I'm sorry sweetling. We have less than a mile, then I'll make sure you're warm." Numair said with a weak leer, which broke into a laughing smile when Daine turned to frown at him.

"Are you laughing at me? She asked, crossly.

"Me? Laugh at you? In your obvious misery?" Numair said with perfect, impish, innocence.

"You are laughing at me." Daine said indignantly.

"I would never." Numair said, holding back laughter.

"Oh yes? Laugh at this!" Daine said as she leaned down off Cloud to scoop up some snow. Numair's choked laughter was cut off by Daine's ball of snow hitting him in the face.

"That's not fair!" Numair spluttered as he brushed snow off his face and out of his hair.

"How is that? I think it's perfectly fair. Now we're both cold." Daine said tartly.

"Yes. But now I'm cold _and _wet." Numair replied with exaggerated patience. "And you're only cold. I don't think that's very fair. I guess I'll just have to even it up, like you did." Numair flashed her his best smile, and leaned down to scoop up some snow of his own.

Daine and Cloud stopped. "You wouldn't." She said, glaring.

"Well… You never know," he said slowly, as he rounded his snowball, "I am notoriously unpredictable."

"You wouldn't." She repeated, gathering Cloud's reins in preparation to bolt.

"I might… Actually, I probably will." With that, Daine and Cloud took off in a gallop and Numair let loose his snowball. It hit the back of her retreating figure and she turned the bend, leaving Numair, Kitten and Spots to follow Cloud's hoof prints at an unsteady canter.

The prints lead to the base of Numair's tower and into the stables. Cloud stood resting in the stall, still with her saddle and Daine's bags on. She gave Numair an obvious, "Hurry up and go get her" look. Numair slipped off Spots and left him resting, and Kitten jumped off Spot's back to join Clod in her stall.

Daine sat outside behind a small pile of snow, waiting to attack. Numair stepped out and looked around, searching for her. Her hands itched to throw one of the hastily made snowballs at him. He walked around, getting closer to her hiding place.

"Got you!" She shouted and leaped up to throw two snowballs in rapid succession at his surprised face. She ducked down again, just missing the snowballs whizzing over her head. After a minute, the firing suddenly stopped. She sat for a moment, then poked her head over the pile to look for him, and stood up when her gaze found no one.

"Got you!" Sound a loud voice from beside her, as she turned to see a large black shape barreling into her, taking them both to the ground.

"Got you." Numair repeated, propping himself above Daine.

"Got you too." She whispered, looking up at the man she loved.

"I love you, Magelet."

"I love you too."


End file.
